Waiting times since the start of last Ofsted full inspection visit – all and south east authorities as at 27/03/2026
Table 4.1: Number of days since the start of last Ofsted full inspection visit with a published report
| SE Rank | South East LAs | Type | Grade | Days waited | Ntl Rank 153 | Next inspection window opens: based on Table 4.3 Minimum and current grade | Next inspection window opens: based on Table 4.3 Average and current grade | Next inspection window opens: based on Table 4.3 Maximum and current grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slough | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,159 | 19 | 01/09/2025 | 26/03/2026 | 03/08/2026 |
| 2 | Wokingham | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,117 | 26 | 13/10/2025 | 07/05/2026 | 14/09/2026 |
| 3 | West Sussex | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,110 | 28 | 20/10/2025 | 14/05/2026 | 21/09/2026 |
| 4 | Portsmouth | ILACS2 | Good | 1,047 | 34 | 30/03/2026 | 23/09/2026 | 08/03/2026 |
| 5 | Southampton | ILACS2 | Good | 1,026 | 35 | 20/04/2026 | 14/10/2026 | 29/03/2027 |
| 6 | Medway | ILACS2 | Good | 984 | 42 | 01/06/2026 | 25/11/2026 | 10/05/2027 |
| 7 | Isle of Wight | ILACS2 | Good | 879 | 50 | 14/09/2026 | 10/03/2027 | 23/08/2027 |
| 8 | East Sussex | ILACS2 | Good | 837 | 59 | 26/10/2026 | 21/04/2027 | 04/10/2027 |
| 9 | Oxfordshire | ILACS2 | Good | 774 | 61 | 28/12/2026 | 23/06/2027 | 06/12/2027 |
| 10 | Brighton and Hove | ILACS2 | Outstanding | 746 | 66 | 18/01/2027 | 10/07/2027 | 11/10/2027 |
| 11 | Reading | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 704 | 70 | 30/11/2026 | 24/06/2027 | 01/11/2027 |
| 12 | Hampshire | ILACS2 | Outstanding | 655 | 83 | 19/04/2027 | 09/10/2027 | 10/01/2028 |
| 13 | Windsor and Maidenhead | ILACS2 | Good | 536 | 95 | 23/08/2027 | 16/02/2028 | 31/07/2028 |
| 14 | Milton Keynes | ILACS2 | Good | 515 | 99 | 13/09/2027 | 08/03/2028 | 21/08/2028 |
| 15 | Buckinghamshire | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 424 | 112 | 06/09/2027 | 30/03/2028 | 07/08/2028 |
| 16 | Surrey | ILACS2 | Good | 375 | 117 | 31/01/2028 | 26/07/2028 | 08/01/2029 |
| 17 | West Berkshire | ILACS2 | Good | 193 | 138 | 31/07/2028 | 24/01/2029 | 09/07/2029 |
| 18 | Kent | ILACS2 | Good | 144 | 144 | 18/09/2028 | 14/03/2029 | 27/08/2029 |
| 19 | Bracknell Forest | ILACS2 | Outstanding | 109 | 148 | 16/10/2028 | 07/04/2029 | 09/07/2029 |
| National Rank of 153 | National LAs | Type | Grade | Days waited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolverhampton | ILACS1 | Good | 1,460 |
| 2 | Coventry | ILACS1 | Good | 1,376 |
| 3 | Nottingham | ILACS2 | Inadequate | 1,355 |
| 4 | Somerset | ILACS1 | Good | 1,348 |
| 5 | Southwark | ILACS1 | Good | 1,278 |
| 6= | West Northamptonshire | ILACS1 | Requires Improvement | 1,271 |
| 6= | North Northamptonshire | ILACS1 | Requires Improvement | 1,271 |
| 8 | North Lincolnshire | ILACS1 | Outstanding | 1,264 |
| 9 | Dudley | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,243 |
| 10= | Wandsworth | ILACS1 | Good | 1,236 |
| 10= | Norfolk | ILACS1 | Good | 1,236 |
| 12 | Hull | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,229 |
| 13= | Trafford | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,222 |
| 13= | Bradford | ILACS2 | Inadequate | 1,222 |
| 15 | Lancashire | ILACs1 | Good | 1,215 |
| 16= | South Tyneside | ILACs1 | Inadequate | 1,181 |
| 16= | Blackpool | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,208 |
| 18 | Bristol | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,208 |
| 19 | Slough | ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | 1,159 |
Table 4.2: Last 20 published reports: number of days waited, and position on the waiting list when picked, at the start of last Ofsted full inspection
| Start Date | Local Authority | Wait between inspection type | Grade Before | Grade After | Position in waiting list when taken | Days waited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | Darlington | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 8 | 1,218 |
| Jan 2026 | Luton | ILACS2 – ILACS3 | Requires Improvement | Good | 3 | 1,288 |
| Jan 2026 | Lambeth | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | Good | 12 | 1,176 |
| Jan 2026 | Torbay | ILACS2 – ILACS3 | Good | Good | 1 | 1,393 |
| Jan 2026 | Haringey | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 28 | 1,064 |
| Dec 2025 | Bracknell Forest | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Outstanding | Outstanding | 3 | 1,274 |
| Dec 2025 | Redcar and Cleveland | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | Good | 4 | 1,260 |
| Nov 2025 | Solihull | ILACS2 – ILACS3 | Inadequate | Good | 19 | 1,099 |
| Nov 2025 | Newham | ILACS2 – ILACS3 | Good | Outstanding | 8= | 1,211 |
| Nov 2025 | Herefordshire | ILACS2 – ILACS3 | Inadequate | Good | 8= | 1,211 |
| Nov 2025 | Rotherham | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 7 | 1,225 |
| Nov 2025 | Kent | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Outstanding | Good | 3 | 1.274 |
| Oct 2025 | Sandwell | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | Good | 3 | 1,253 |
| Oct 2025 | Wigan | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Requires Improvement | Good | 3 | 1,246 |
| Sept 2025 | Manchester | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 1 | 1,281 |
| Sept 2025 | West Berkshire | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Good | 1 | 1,281 |
| July 2025 | North East Lincolnshire | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Inadequate | Good | 1 | 1,379 |
| July 2025 | Merton | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Outstanding | Outstanding | 3 | 1,232 |
| July 2025 | Bedford Borough | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Requires Improvment | 2 | 1,337 |
| June 2025 | Warwickshire | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Requires Improvement | 4 | 1,288 |
| June 2025 | Richmond upon Thames | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 3 | 1,246 |
| June 2025 | Shropshire | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 4 | 1,232 |
| June 2025 | Leeds | ILACS2 – ILACS3 | Outstanding | Outstanding | 4 | 1,225 |
Table 4.3: Wait in days between completed post-covid ILACS inspections (start-date to start-date)
| Grade before inspection | No. | Minimum | Average | Maximum |
| Outstanding | 7 | 1,043 | 1,216 | 1,309 |
| Good | 21 | 1,050 | 1,228 | 1,393 |
| Requires Improvement | 14 | 952 | 1,159 | 1,288 |
| Inadequate | 6 | 1,092 | 1,220 | 1,379 |
| All ILACS inspections | 48 | 952 | 1,205 | 1,393 |
| New authorities, no prior inspection | 2 | 388 | 472 | 556 |
| Grand total | 50 | 1,176 |
Table 4.4: All-time longest waits for a main inspection
| National Rank | LA | Wait between inspection type | Grade before | Grade after | Days waited | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sefton | SIF1 – ILACS1 (no SIF2) | Requires Improvement | Inadequate | 2,191 | Feb 2016 – Feb 2022 |
| 2 | Poole (now closed) | SLAC – SIF1 (no LACPI) | Good | Requires Improvement | 2,142 | Oct 2011 – Sep 2017 |
| 3 | Oxfordshire | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Good | 2,128 | Apr 2018 – Feb 2024 |
| 4 | Brighton and Hove | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 2,072 | Jul 2018 – Mar 2024 |
| 5= | Bury | SIF1 – ILACS1 (no SIF2) | Requires Improvement | Inadequate | 2,072 | Feb 2016 – Oct 2021 |
| 5= | Blackburn with Darwen | SLAC – SIF1 (no LACPI) | Good | Good | 2,072 | Jan 2012 – Sep 2017 |
| 7 | Hartlepool | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 2,065 | Jul 2018 – Mar 2024 |
| 8 | Sheffield | SIF1 – ILACS1 (no SIF2) | Requires Improvement | Good | 2,064 | Nov 2013 – Jul 2019 |
| 9 | Derbyshire | SIF1 – ILACS1 (no SIF2) | Good | Requires Improvement | 2,057 | Nov 2013 – Jul 2019 |
| 10 | Wolverhampton | SLAC – SIF1 (no LACPI) | Requires Improvement | Good | 2,051 | Jun 2011 – Jan 2017 |
| 11 | Gateshead | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Good | 2,044 | Apr 2019 – Dec 2024 |
| 12= | Southwark | SIF1 – ILACS1 (no SIF2) | Good | Good | 2,030 | Mar 2017 – Sep 2022 |
| 12= | Camden | SLAC – SIF1 (no LACPI) | Good | Good | 2,030 | Feb 2012 – Sep 2017 |
| 14 | Richmond upon Thames | SLAC – SIF1 (no LACPI) | Good | Good | 2,016 | Mar 2012 – Sep 2017 |
| 15 | Warwickshire | SIF1 – ILACS1 (no SIF2) | Good | Requires Improvement | 2,010 | May 2017 – Nov 2021 |
| 16 | Havering | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Inadequate | 2,009 | Jun 2018 – Dec 2023 |
| 17 | Bracknell Forest | SLAC – SIF1 (no LACPI) | Good | Good | 2,006 | Oct 2011 – Apr 2017 |
| 18 | Merton | SLAC – SIF1 (no LACPI) | Good | Good | 2,005 | Jan 2012 – July 2017 |
| 19 | Hillingdon | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Outstanding | 1,995 | Apr 2018 – Oct 2023 |
| 20= | Waltham Forest | ILACS1 – ILACS2 | Good | Good | 1,988 | Jan 2019 – Jul 2024 |
| 20= | Wirral | SLAC – SIF1 (no LACPI) | Good | Good | 1,988 | Jan 2011 – Jul 2016 |
Our friends at LIIA, working with D2I have produced more Ofsted analysis Ofsted inspections Power BI dashboard (external link hosted by LIIA).
The dashboard has five pages and covers ILACS and SEND inspections, with all manner of filters and visualisations available.
All the data on these pages have been produced by SESLIP analysis of information published at Ofsted’s report pages, which involves manual data transfer and is therefore subject to errors and omissions. If you spot anything that looks wrong, please contact Richard Tyndall 07880-787007